Latin name= Pagona vitticeps (Old name Amphibolurus vitticeps) Maximum length= 15 - 24 inches Native to Australia Approximate life span= 5 - 10 years Bearded Dragons are very docile lizards that get their name from the spiny scaled area that covers the throat. The male dragons will "puff" this area out as a sign of dominance and defense. This will be more common during the breeding season. Dominant dragons will seek the highest basking point in the enclosure. In order to show dominance, the dragon may sacrifice long exposure to the heat. You may see them try to cool off by keeping their mouths open. The message here is, it's better to look good than be comfortable. Sexual maturity is reached at about 15 months. During the breeding season, the throats of the males will darken to a solid black. This is a reliable indicator of sex. The throats of the female dragons tend to have gray scales. When males fight, they open their mouths, hiss and whip their tails. We recommend you purchase a baby dragon with a minimum head to tail size of 5 - 6 inches. Anything smaller than this can be difficult to keep. ENCLOSURE A 10 - 20 gallon aquarium is sufficient for juveniles. As the lizards grow, increase the size of the enclosure. Adults should have plenty of room to remain active. A floor area of 1.5 - 2 feet square or larger is recommended for each adult. Males should not be kept together unless a very large enclosure is used as they tend to fight in confined spaces. SUBSTRATE Sand is your best choice. Avoid silica sand as it's fine dust is harmful to you and the lizards. Provide a layer of at least 2 inches. Keep the sand clean by sifting and removing any waste with a cat scooper used for cat boxes. Change the sand completely every 3 months, or sooner if needed. TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY Overall daytime temperatures should be 85ºf with a basking area of 90 - 95ºf aimed at a branch or large rock on one end of the enclosure. Nighttime temperatures can drop to 75ºf. HEATING Reptiles need to be able to regulate their body temperature, so a temperature gradient must be provided for. A basking area should be provided as well as an area where your animals can go to cool off. Always use a thermometer and humidity gauge in all reptile & amphibian enclosures. LIGHTING UVB spectrum lighting is a necessity for Bearded Dragons. Very high UVB is essential for the dragons to synthesize vitamin D3. All reptiles and amphibians need a photo period (light cycle). A plug in timer (for your lights only, do not use a timer for your heating devices) works well to develop a regular photo period of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Reptiles and amphibians cannot see the red light spectrum, so a low wattage red bulb is ideal for night time viewing of your Bearded Dragons. FOOD & WATER Bearded Dragons are omnivorous (feeding on both live food and fruits & vegetables). Live food consists of crickets, small roaches, grasshoppers and wax worms. Small sized dragons should get 1 - 2 week old crickets, medium sized dragons should get 2 - 3 week old crickets and large sized dragons should get 4-5 week, nothing bigger. Pinkie mice can be fed to medium to large sized dragons occasionally. Do not feed a food item that is too big for the dragon (the crickets may impact the lizard and it may block off the intestinal track). An easy way to tell if the food is the proper size; The food item should not have a body length greater that the width of the dragon's head. Baby dragons to medium sized dragons should be fed every day while adults can eat every 2 - 3 days. Dust crickets with a calcium supplement twice a week. All Bearded Dragons should get a mixture of vegetables chopped to bite size once a day in a separate dish. These vegetables should include; red leaf and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, kale, mustard & collard greens, green beans, shredded carrots & banana squash, grapes and melons. Provide a shallow bowl with fresh de-chlorinated or spring water. Mist the dragons in the morning only for about 1 minute with de-chlorinated water.